Heartbroken
by ShiNoPerusona
Summary: "To accept the fact that she would not be the target of her friend's affection and make sure he was happy no matter who he was with was beyond incredible." One-sided Hamuko x Minato, one-sided Yukari x Junpei. Rated K.
1. Drinking Away Your Sorrows

**AUTHOR'S NOTATION: The last story I posted was what, 2 months ago? Considering my track record for updates, that actually isn't half bad. Besides, it's summer and I have no excuse for not writing other than laziness and _maybe_ writer's block. But mostly the former. Regardless, please enjoy the piece of writing I decided to write for all you wonderful people.**

 **Disclaimer: Persona and Atlus don't belong to me. I don't own Atlas or an atlas either.**

* * *

"Damnit…" Minato muttered bitterly. He slammed his glass down on a table and rubbed his face wearily. Alcohol did little to help a headache. The loud music and voices on the lower level of Club Escapade only amplified his pain.

"Yukari… Why?" He mumbled. There was no other girl who had him feel for her in such a way before. He had always been so aloof and uninterested in others, but she had a charm that he was drawn to. Many guys were, but unlike anyone else, he knew he had it in himself to match her allure. And when it came time for him to confess, he was truly confident about himself. But her rejection came down like a ton of bricks on his chest. Was he still not good enough for her?

What'd she see in Junpei, anyway? He was the epitome of what defined a loser: unpopular, moronic and an inept fighter, whereas Minato was superior in each way he thought conceivable: intelligent, strong and good-looking, not to mention unique, with his Wild Card ability. Didn't it make him special in her eyes? Why couldn't he win her over? Was it something else Junpei had that he didn't?

Minato chuckled dejectedly as he swirled the brownish pungent fluid in his glass. He was impressed at how lucidly he was thinking despite how much whiskey he drunk. Still, he felt sluggish and probably looked awful to other people.

"Oy, kid," A gruff voice from the side snapped him out of his thoughts. "You shouldn't just drink your sorrows away; it ain't healthy, trust me," The monk snatched Minato's glass out of his hand as he was taking a sip. "I know from experience. Can't believe you're gettin' so bent out of shape over a girl of all things," Mutatsu sat down beside Minato. "Ya know, I used to get rejected all the goddamn time. No girl would give me the time of the day," He began. "I'll tell you, it took long enough to find someone who was actually interested in _me_ ," He pointed a thumb at himself. "And you know what? A few years later, she became my wife. 'Course, she, er, left me a while after that, but that's beside the point," He shook his head. "Look, kid, no matter how hard you try, sometimes you'll never get the girl you want. You just gotta accept it wasn't meant to be." The monk blew on his cigar.

"I tried pretty hard, alright," Minato sighed. "Practically killed myself trying to please her."

"See? And you saw how it worked out for you; you're just wasting your sweat an' tears at that point. So what'cha gotta do is move on, find some other dame who you fancy. And who knows? Maybe they'll fancy you too! Hell, maybe one likes you right now and you don't even know it yet! Haha!" Mutatsu slapped his leg. "Well anyway, go home, sleep it off instead of drowning yourself in booze and you'll feel way better, I promise. I can't take you home myself, but maybe you can get one of your friends – who isn't the girl you just got dumped by – to come an' take you home. With how you look, I wouldn't trust you to walk on the street and not get run over," The monk yawned loudly. "Yeah, it's about time for me to get home too…" He mumbled as he glanced at his wristwatch. "Hm? What, not gonna call anyone?" He noticed Minato was sitting still with a cell phone in his hand, though he was reluctant to open it.

"I'm… I don't really want to talk to any of them right now," Minato responded. He went to pocket it, but not before it was grabbed out of his hand just like his drink glass.

"Tch, I'll just call one of 'em for you," Mutatsu scrolled through Minato's contact list. "Which one of these people can you stand to look at right now?" He showed the list to Minato, who half-heartedly pointed at a contact on the screen. "Arisato Hamuko, huh? She your sister or something? You two got the same last name," Minato shook his head.

"No, we're not related. It's just a coincidence. She'd make a good sister, though."

"Is that so… Whatever." Mutatsu dialed her number and waited on the phone.

" _Hello?_ _Minato?_ "An upbeat and cheery female voice on the other line inquired.

"Hey, you're Hamuko right? A friend of yours – yeah, Minato – is hanging out here with me at Club Escapade and looking pretty pathetic while doing it. He needs you to bring him home." Minato sighed at hearing the monk's blunt yet brutally accurate words.

" _What…? Okay, I'm heading over there now. But… who are you, anyway?_ "

"Nobody you need to know or care about," Mutatsu grunted. "Now hurry up and help your friend out, yeah?" He hung up. "Don't worry, kid, help is on the way, heheh." He punched Minato's shoulder.

* * *

"Minato!" Hamuko climbed up the stairs from the lower floor and rushed over to him, grabbing his shoulders. "Are you okay?! What happened?!"

"Damn kid's depressed he didn't land a date with the girl he liked, that's all," Mutatsu curtly replied, breathing a puff of smoke in Minato's face, which he didn't react to.

"O-Oh... Really?" Hamuko looked back to Minato. The ashamed and embarrassed look on his face said it all. She almost cringed at the sad state he was in.

She was even more hurt knowing she wasn't the girl Minato was interested in.

"Yeah, and he's been busy givin' himself alcohol poisoning before I even got here," Hamuko's eyes widened as she glanced around the table and saw a number of empty whiskey bottles strewn about. "I'll tell you, whatever gal he liked he must've liked a lot for him to be this depressed over being rejected! Get over it, kid, there're much worse things to come in your pitiful life and ya can't dwell on petty things like these forever!" Mutatsu said gruffly. He caught Hamuko's glum expression in the corner of his eye. "Eh? Somethin' wrong? You're looking kinda depressed too."

"Oh… It's… nothing," Hamuko whispered sadly, tilting her head down. Mutatsu rose an eyebrow, but chose to wave it off.

"Whatever. Well? Go on; get this sorry excuse of a teenager home!" Mutatsu shooed.

"H-huh? Oh, right! Come on, Minato-kun," Hamuko lifted his arm over her shoulder and lifted him off the club seat, then turned to face the monk. "Thank you so much for telling me about Minato-kun, err…"

"Call me Mutatsu. Your friend's been hanging out with this old fool for a while now. It's nice havin' him around to ramble on and complain to. He even reminds me of my delinquent son, too!" Mutatsu chuckled. "Ahh, I'm sure he's better than him, though. Just get outta here before he gets into more trouble." He waved dismissively.

Hamuko smiled. "Right. Thank you, Mutatsu-san." She turned away and made her way with Minato down the stairs.

"Ah, young love…" Mutatsu crossed his legs and blew a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Hey… Minato, who… Who was it that rejected you?" Hamuko asked on their way to Port Island Station. Minato sighed heavily in response. "I-I mean, it's okay if you don't want to tell me now, or even at all but…"

"No, no, I'll tell you," Minato shook his head. "You're a dear friend to me. You're probably the only person I can trust to keep this a secret."

Hamuko blushed and smiled. "Thanks." She whispered.

"You might be a little surprised to hear this, but… It was Yukari. I love Yukari." Hamuko bit her lip and she felt her heart ache. She had her suspicions, but to hear Minato say it out loud crushed her.

But she hid it and hummed to tell Minato to continue. "It… She means a lot to me. She made me feel… different from any other girl I've met before. Warm. Happy. I wanted to do everything in my power to make her feel the same way," Hamuko's eyes began to tear up at hearing this. "I thought we had formed a genuinely strong bond during all the time we spent together, hanging out after school and watching each other's backs in Tartarus. And all that time, she and I had so much fun. But…" Minato trailed off.

Hamuko's lip began to quiver and her vision blurred more as tears in her eyes continued to well up. Did he not acknowledge all the similar experiences he had with her?

"I confessed. I finally told her about my feelings toward her. But she rejected me, told me it wasn't mutual," Hamuko clenched her fist. "She liked Junpei, she told me. While I was a good friend to her, I guess… I guess Junpei was closer and dearer to her." Hamuko vowed not to forgive either Yukari or Junpei for hurting Minato like this. "Hmph… Junpei doesn't even care about Yukari. He was and still is in love with Chidori."

"Yeah," Hamuko nodded. "I remember how she died in his arms; it must have been devastating for him." Despite the newfound resentment she had for Junpei, she couldn't help but pity him. He had lost his potential lover as well.

Hamuko trembled and tears began to fall from her eyes. Her breaths turned to sobs and she stopped walking.

Minato noticed they had stopped and realised Hamuko was crying. "Hamuko? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"No… It's just…" Hamuko sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry you and Junpei-kun couldn't be with the one you loved. It… really upsets me. Neither of you deserve that kind of treatment, especially not you," She shook her head and looked at Minato's face. "You're amazing, Minato. The best person I know. I can't bear to see you suffer like this."

Minato stood silently, mulling over her words. Then, he pulled her into a hug and Hamuko buried her face in his chest. "Thank you, Hamuko. That means a lot to me for you to say that," Minato glanced around and noticed they were near Port Island Station. "Hey. We're almost to the monorail. Let's go."

* * *

Despite Minato's tipsiness he was the one to walk Hamuko the rest of the way to the station.

When they stepped into the empty monorail they sat down beside each other at the nearest seat.

"Hey… Um…" Hamuko began. "Mutatsu-san said you were drinking a lot. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Might wake up tomorrow with a killer headache, but it's nothing I won't be able to handle," Minato smiled reassuringly. "Besides, we're Persona-users. We can fight Shadows; what does it say about us if we can't even handle a few drinks?"

Hamuko giggled. "I guess so. Just… I want you to take care of yourself, that's all. I always get worried when you get carried away when it comes to fighting Shadows. You're so reckless," Her eyes looked downcast. "It scares me when I see you standing against a horde of enemies. One of these days you're going to get yourself killed. Tonight wasn't a good sign of things to come."

"I… know it's stupid of me to act like this. I realize that now. It just felt way worse at the time and I had no other way of coping with it. Even now, I feel alone. Nobody can – hell, nobody would want to help someone like me. Why would they? I'm despicable; I make friends to gain power, nothing else. I use them for my own selfish deeds." Minato spat.

"That isn't true and you know it," Hamuko argued. "Of course you value your friends; you wouldn't feel that way if that weren't the case. Their respect for you should be proof enough of that. And besides," Hamuko continued. "You have me to confide in. Aren't I your 'dear' friend?" Hamuko parroted Minato's words in a joking tone.

"Huh… You are, aren't you?" Minato smirked. "We've known each other since we were children. You were pretty much my only friend since I wasn't too great at making other friends at the time."

"Even still… You were – and still are – a wonderful friend to me. You've done so much for me in the past and I'm glad we met." Hamuko's voice softened as she spoke.

"Yeah," Minato nodded. "We've helped each other through a lot of tough times and now's hardly the time to stop doing that."

"Right," She nodded as well. "If you're with me there won't be anything I can't face. And… if it's danger that we face, I'll protect you, no matter the cost," She looked into Minato's eyes, full of determination. "Even if the cost is my life."

"Hamuko…" Minato's eyes widened. She cupped his face in her hands.

"Even if everyone you love betrays you, I'll still stand by your side. If you're in danger, I'll make sure you survive to see another day, even if I can't see it with you. No matter what happens, I will never leave you. Ever. I want you to remember that for as long as you live." She brought her face close to Minato's.

"…I will. I promise." Hamuko could only smile tearily as she hugged Minato and rested her head on his shoulder.

" _Someone else who likes_ me, _huh…_ " Minato mused in his thoughts. He smiled and wrapped his arm around Hamuko and pulled her closer.

They didn't mind the Dark Hour slowing down their trip to their dorm.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTATION: I'll build on that one-sided Yukari x Junpei (x Chidori) in a later chapter. I like this pairing because it makes a lot of sense to me.**

 **And if you didn't catch on already, this will be a multi-chapter story, which will be an unknown length (definitely not more than 7 or 8 chapters). I have the next two chapters written already but I'm not going to post them because REASONS. (I'm going away for two weeks and won't have reliable access to internet. I also want to have time to make revisions if I need to; your reviews for this chapter might influence that!)**

 **Favorite if you fancy this story, follow if you want to read more of this story but _especially_ review! Reviews with constructive criticism are my favorite kind.**

 **See you in** **the next chapter!**


	2. Don't Leave Me

**AUTHOR'S NOTATION: Am I so lazy of an author I can't be bothered to simply post pre-written chapters for my story?**

 **Apparently.**

 **But hey, at least I bothered to write them in the first place! And it's probably the only reason why this is the least time I've had between updates for a looooong time!**

 **Disclaimer: Persona and Atlus don't belong to me.**

* * *

Minato woke up the next morning to the sensation of millions of tiny construction workers in his head pounding his brain with jackhammers. Not like the previous night, where a symphony was playing a pleasant and calming tune, steeling him for his fateful confession to Yukari later that day.

He being reminded of his failure to win her heart resulted in the construction workers in his head deciding to drive around bulldozers too.

"Groan…" Minato sluggishly lifted himself off his bed and looked around. He was back in his room, albeit a little less tidy than usual, probably from him thrashing around drunkenly. His hair was tousled and his uniform was messy. Otherwise, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

That is, at first glance.

Minato heard quiet (and adorable) snores coming from his bed. What he saw was a slumbering girl with auburn hair, in a white nightgown, tightly clutching a pillow. Her hair was down and splayed across the pillow she was sleeping on.

His eyes darted to the door when he heard someone knock on it. "Hey, um, Minato? Could… Could we talk for a bit?" Minato cursed when he recognised the voice to be Yukari's. He already felt awkward around her now and the presence of Hamuko in his room would only complicate things.

"Er… Yeah, sure! Just a second!" He quickly tossed his blanket over the small girl on his bed, who mumbled something incoherent and snuggled into the blanket. Then, he turned to the door and let Yukari in. She was dressed in a light pink dress with fur trimming and brown boots which were also fur trimmed.

"Are you okay? You're sweating a little…"

"H-Huh? A-Am I?" Minato smiled nervously. "Ahaha, it must just be seeing you again. You know, how I told you how I felt and you rejected me…" His voice hushed and he lowered his head.

Yukari's expression fell. "I just wanted to say…" She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry… I'm really sorry Minato-kun. I can only imagine how you felt after I rejected you and I feel guilty. It's my fault you were hurt," Minato pursed his lips. "Hamuko-chan told me last night. It was after the Dark Hour and I heard some noises downstairs. You were passed out and she was carrying you on her shoulder, so I guess you don't remember," She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Anyway, she told me that you went to Club Escapade and just drank all night there. And then she snapped at me for rejecting you."

Minato raised a surprised brow. "Hamuko did that? Why would she…"

"I tried asking that myself, but she just ignored me and went to your room. I didn't see her come back out, either," She added. Minato paled. "I don't suppose you know where she went?"

"Uh… Why would I?" Minato scratched the back of his head. "You said I was passed out, right? She probably left after she dropped me off in my room."

"I guess you have a point there. Anyway, I'm sorry about… You know."

Minato smiled. "It's alright, I understand. I'll get over it soon enough. Thanks for going out of your way to apologize to me; I appreciate it."

Yukari smiled as well. "You're welcome, Minato-kun."

The silence between them seemed to last hours.

"Now, uh, I'll just be going now…" The brunette spoke finally, sensing how awkward the situation she was in was. She made her way to the door.

"Right. Bye, Yukari-chan." He waved and closed the door once she was out of sight. Minato turned back to his bed and gently lifted his bed sheet to reveal a fully awake Hamuko, silently curled up in a ball. The solemn look on her face said it all. "Do you… resent Yukari?" Minato asked.

Hamuko lifted herself off the bed, sitting in a seiza position. She shook her head in response to Minato's question. "Not anymore. I don't think she - or Junpei, or anyone is at fault. After hearing her apologize, I can't bring myself to be mad at anyone."

"Why did you snap at her, though?"

"Didn't I tell you? I was upset at her for rejecting you and hurting you."

"Yeah, but…" Minato hesitated. "Did you mean anything else by it, I mean?" He wrinkled his brow.

Hamuko's eyes widened. "Er, no, I didn't," She lied. "You've seen me get in fights with other people; you know I'm really defensive about my friends and me snapping at Yukari was pretty mild by my standards."

"If you say so," Minato shrugged. "By the way, why are you in my room? I'd have figured you would toss me on the bed and go back to your room."

"Well, um…" Hamuko struggled to come up with a believable excuse. "I was feeling really tired too, so when I carried you to your room I just decided to sleep in your room, too!"

"Well, why were you sleeping in my bed beside me?" Minato retorted.

"I… just wanted to keep an eye on you and make sure you were okay! That's it!"

"You didn't need to sleep beside me to do that, though," Hamuko's face flushed. "And besides, there was no need for you to stay here. Aigis keeps breaking into my room early in the morning and watches me sleep."

"Aigis does that?! That _stupid_ robot...! I swear, once I get my hands on her I'll…" Hamuko muttered something bitter and threatening under her breath. The blunette sweatdropped.

"You still haven't given me an answer yet," Minato told her impatiently. "We've outgrown sleeping in each other's beds. Our dorm's rules are different from the orphanages' rules and we'll get in trouble for doing stuff like this."

"I know that, but…" Hamuko looked down sadly.

Minato sighed. "Just… Don't do this again. I'm glad you're trying to watch out for me and take care of me, but I'll be fine on my own from now on."

Hamuko's face flashed with anger. "No, you won't! You always got in trouble then and you do now! I know that, later today, you're just going to go drink again and ignore everything Yukari or I have said!" She said accusingly.

"Wha-" Minato lifted his hands and shoulders defensively. "What are you saying?" He narrowed his eyes.

"You know! You _need_ me to take care of you, that you're helpless without me! You'll try and go off on your own, but I _know_ that you're eventually gonna crawl back to _me_ looking for help!" Hamuko shouted as she jabbed a thumb toward herself. "I've known you this long and I know especially how you think! Admit it!"

"Why would you…!" Minato exhaled heavily. "Just… Get out. Please." He pointed to the door.

"No! Not until you-"

" **Leave**." Minato's voice darkened.

Hamuko flinched in shock and fell silent. She got off the bed and made her way to the door, shaken by her friend's drastic change in tone. As she reached the doorway, she turned around to look at Minato and saw him glaring at her. Hamuko took a few steps back out into the hallway and saw Minato slam the door shut, recoiling at how violently he did it.

"Geez… What the hell's gotten into her?" She heard an annoyed voice come muffled through the door.

Hamuko stared at the door, listening to Minato grumble about how strangely she was acting.

Tears began to stream down her face and she collapsed to her knees, placing her head and hands against the door and sobbed quietly.

"Please don't leave me, Minato…"

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTATION: If you couldn't already tell, Hamuko is going to cry quite a bit in this story. I'm thinking of dedicating an entire chapter to just her crying about stuff. Like her unrequited love for her best friend, how her parents, like, died in a car crash and why the takoyaki stand in Iwatodai Strip Mall raised its prices. Makes me tear up just thinking about it.**

 **Next chapter will be up soon enough, when I decide I want to do a little proofreading. Also when I pre-write chapter 4, because I like to plan my story ahead since I'm still not entirely sure where it's gonna go. Welp.**

 **FFRRR. Know what that stands for? Favorite (Review), Follow (Review) and Review, Review, Review! And no, that doesn't mean that I see favorites and follows as reviews and that gives you an excuse not to post an actual review, it means I want you to post a review and that _that is the only option you have to show your appreciation for this story_ (but not really). Favorites and follows are great and all, but any form of constructive criticism is welcomed! And the only way you could really give it to me is through a review.**

 **Next chapter will come when I decide I'm not lazy enough to perform the simple act of posting it. If that doesn't happen in 15 years, feel free to pronounce me ded. ded ded ded**


	3. Heartbroken

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hey! Over a year ago, I was working on this story. And then I wasn't.**

 **Either way, I actually remembered I had the next couple of parts for this story written which I never finished. I'm going to start writing again, but a different story, so unfortunately this is the rest of this story you're ever going to see, but I figured I would upload it anyway.**

 **I haven't read over it or anything, so this is my work from however many months ago.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Takeba Yukari is a third-year student at Gekkoukan High School. She boasts strong academics, athleticism and popularity and participation in the school community. She is a prime example of an ideal student, next to Kirijo Misturu.

Iori Junpei came to Gekkoukan the same year as Yukari and is the drastic opposite of what she is. A lazy studier, poor in physique and would rather hang out with his few friends rather than in a school club or doing any school activities.

So how did one person fall in love with another person who was so different on a high school social level?

Yukari pondered that very question as she walked down the second floor hallway in Iwatodai Dorm.

She was, in many ways, better than her friend. She could have chosen from a much nicer batch of guys to date, people who could stand equal to her, people like _Minato_.

And yet the person she gravitated toward was none other than her ridiculous and perverted friend who she'd have never thought of this way.

Maybe that's all there was to it. He was a friend. Wasn't that enough in the end?

Yukari stopped in front of Junpei's door. Was he inside? Should she talk to him?

She resolved to walk up to the door and knock on it.

…

…

No response. She tried knocking a few more times.

…

…

Yukari sighed in defeat. There was no point in her pursuing a romantic relationship with Junpei, at least while he was still getting over Chidori.

It was amazing how much the two had loved each other. And for their tale together to come to such a tragic end was not unlike many romance novels Yukari had read in the past. It reminded her especially of a certain Shakespearean play. The strength of the feelings between them were deep and it would be no small feat to match that.

The brunette wondered what exactly it was that attracted Junpei to the red-headed Strega member. Maybe Junpei had a fetish for gothic lolitas; considering all the things she had overheard him talk about to his friends, she wouldn't doubt those were included in his sexual interests. Or was it the supposed air of mystery about her and how Junpei described her as a "flaming red enigma of beauty and passion." Yukari swore he used the same nonsensical phrase to describe Mitsuru when he saw her in her bathing suit when they were at Yakushima.

Could it be something to do with Chidori being an artist? Though she snuck a peek at her sketchbook after she gave it to Junpei, she didn't learn much from it. The pages were mostly filled with garbled and incomprehensible sketches that she didn't understand. It was doubtful Junpei understood most of them either.

But she did come across something spectacular; a beautifully drawn portrait of her lover, in marvelous detail and quality. Chidori had to have had put a great deal of effort into the drawing. When Junpei caught her looking at Chidori's sketchbook, he had quickly taken it away from her and gave her a firm warning not to look at it again.

Chidori's final act of rescuing Junpei from certain death was something that would not be forgotten. Yukari knew herself that she would not be able to give up her own life in exchange for saving someone else so easily. But Chidori did it without a second thought, not caring for her own life at all. The things that love could drive a person to do scared Yukari, but also excited her at the same time. To have such dedication to one person in your life would be a truly fulfilling experience to her.

She suddenly heard the loud sound of a door being slammed coming from the direction of Minato's room. When she looked down the hallway, she saw Hamuko stand silently in front of the door.

" _What is she…?_ " Yukari thought. She became concerned when Hamuko fell to her knees and began to cry. "Hamuko!" She ran over to her.

"Y-Yukari…" Hamuko's voice came out broken and desperate.

Yukari bent down to her level. "Are you okay? What's wrong, Hamuko?"

The auburn-haired girl sniffled. "M-Minato… H-He…"

Yukari was confused. What did Minato do to upset her like this?

"J-Just… I can't…" Hamuko sobbed.

The expression on Yukari's face softened. "Hey. Let's talk about this in your room. Is that okay?" She asked soothingly. Hamuko nodded.

The two girls were sat beside each other on Hamuko's bed, which was covered in pink bedding.

"Do you feel a little better now?" Yukari put her hand on Hamuko's shoulder.

"Mmhmm. Thank you." Hamuko wiped the few remaining tears from her eyes.

"Are you ready to talk now?" Yukari asked in a motherly tone.

"Yeah," Hamuko spoke softly, barely above the volume of a whisper. "Minato and I have been friends for a long time now. We've known each other since we were children. When both sets of our parents died on the Moonlight Bridge, we only had each other left," Hamuko explained. "We became really close friends after that."

"I could tell from how you two acted when you were with each other. You seemed to get along well with him."

Hamuko hummed in affirmation. "During all the time we spent together, I guess… there was that little spark. That maybe I felt more for him than simple friendly affection. Those feelings eventually grew and I fell in love with Minato."

"…" Yukari felt a pang of guilt in her heart. It must have hurt Hamuko deeply when Minato didn't fall in love with her.

"I was angry at you for rejecting him and hurting him like that. I hated not receiving his affection, but I couldn't stand seeing him in pain either. That's why I lashed out at you last night."

Yukari could only admire Hamuko for her selflessness toward her friend: to accept the fact that she would not be the target of her crush's affections and instead make sure he was happy no matter whom he was with was beyond incredible.

"I liked to think I had to look out for him all the time, but in truth he's done a lot, if not more, for me as well. He takes better care of me than he does himself and I don't think he even realises it. It's hard for me to repay him for all he's done," Hamuko continued. "That's why I'm so afraid of him moving on without me. I don't want to be left alone…!" Her voice cracked and she started to sob.

"There, there…" Yukari pulled Hamuko into a hug and pat her on the back. She waited until the crying teenager calmed down. "I don't think he'll leave you behind. You know he's a good person and he wouldn't do that to his closest friend, even if he loves someone else."

"I guess so…" Hamuko looked down.

"And," Yukari moved Hamuko's head so that it was facing hers. "Even if he does, you have plenty of friends to support you. Me, Fuuka, Junpei and everyone else is there for you. You won't be alone, no matter what," Yukari moved away and crossed her arms. "We'll make sure of it."

Hamuko smiled, teary-eyed. "Thank you… Thank you so much, Yukari. You're a great friend of mine."

"You too."

* * *

Fire crackled and glowed under the ominous green light of the Dark Hour. Two cars, totaled and tossed to the sides of the Moonlight Bridge were more evidence of the disaster that transpired mere moments ago.

Among the wreckage were two small children, one from each family from each car, laying face-down and unconscious. Standing over them was a beautiful blond girl, with mechanical limbs and brilliant blue eyes. Her body was clearly damaged, with scratches and dents, as well as loose electrical wiring protruding from the exposed mechanisms underneath its protective metal casings.

"Seal… successful," Aigis uttered in her robotic voice. "Commencing Bystander Safeguarding Protocol," The android nodded as she crouched down and picked up the two youths and slung them over both her shoulders. She proceeded to walk away from the inferno behind her before pausing and lowering her head. "I am sorry that you two were the ones unfortunate enough to carry this burden… Please know that it is for the betterment of humankind and a necessary evil."

Even though the Shadow's power was locked away inside the bodies of the children, she could still feel the dark power emanate strongly from them. How would this change how they mature? What would happen to their minds; their Personas if they were to possess them? Death is a powerful entity; their bodies could barely withstand having half of it sealed away inside of them. There would have been much graver consequences if it were to roam freely, however.

"Activating Obligatory Seal Protection System: victims scanned. Identified as two young Japanese children, one male and one female. Facial features and distinct bodily features saved for future recognition. Protect at all costs," The headphone-like devices on her head hummed softly. "Proceeding to Paulownia Mall Police Station."

"So… Uh… You two kids done eating or what? I need to ask you some questions regarding the accident you two were just in," A gruff-looking, middle-aged police officer asked. "So, what're your-" He was cut off by loud munching sounds. He grunted and sighed, scratching his head.

"Mmph." The auburn-haired girl was holding a small bowl to her face, shoveling rice into her mouth with a pair of chopsticks. The blue-haired boy was doing the same beside her.

The officer soon heard their noises of eating die down and tried to test the waters with another question. "Like I said, what are your-" He growled audibly as they began to eat noisily again. "How much will they have to eat before they actually listen…?" He muttered to himself. "Oy! Tohru! Go get some more food for these two!" He shouted out through the door of the interrogation room.

"C-Coming right up, Kurosawa-san!" A panicky voice shouted in response. Moments later, a black-haired, messy-looking young detective rushed into the room with bowls of rice in his hands. He placed them in front of the kids, who immediately noticed them, put down their previous bowls and began to eat from the fresh ones. The detective watched in silent awe as they scarfed down the food they were given in record time. "Geez, how much can these guys eat? It's like they're from a different planet or something."

"Hmph." Kurosawa huffed. "Excuse me!" He piped up. On cue, the two stopped feasting and lifted their heads. "What are your names?" He asked in a softer tone.

The girl spoke first. "My name is Hamuko… What happened to my family?" She asked innocently, tilting her head. Kurosawa's expression turned grim and Adachi simply stared.

"They're…" The senior officer hesitated.

"They're dead." Adachi finished bluntly. Kurosawa glared fiercely at him for his lack of sensitivity, to which he shrunk. Hamuko's eyes widened in tears. The boy noticed her despair and quickly turned to face the adults.

"What happened to _my_ family?!" He asked in an alarmed tone.

"They're dead, also." Kurosawa replied sadly. The boy looked crushed and hung his head low.

"Poor guys," Adachi mumbled pitifully. "I feel kinda sorry for 'em. Oh, and by the way, what's your name, kid?" He pointed a finger at the boy.

"…" The boy remained silent and kept his head hung down.

"I asked you; what's your name?" Adachi inquired impatiently.

"…"

"C'mon, you gotta answer sometime." The detective scratched his head annoyed.

Kurosawa made his way to the door. "Let's leave them be. I don't expect them to say anything after giving them such bad news." Kurosawa whispered to Adachi as he passed by him, who nodded and followed the officer out of the room.

The only thing to fill the silence between the two children was Hamuko's quiet sniffling.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not working on this story any more, but feel free to leave reviews regardless. I appreciate feedback, and I might learn a few things from any criticisms you might have, even if this is my writing from a long time ago.**


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